ROMINA 20 - Early Gotz All-Vinyl 18" GELENKPUPPE - American Girl Doll Prototype
This Vintage Gotz Modell Doll was produced in an UNKNOWN year; she measures 46cm/18" tall and has a Doll ID # or Catalog Code #: UNKNOWN. As this doll was produced in an uncertain year and may/may not have an actual catalog name, for cataloguing and American Girl doll collector purposes, Gotz Doll Wiki has named her "ROMINA 20," as she is the twentieth "Romina" (see below) to be catalogued. ROMINA 20 has ROOTED, long, straight brown hair with straight bangs; she wears her hair down with two small high, side pigtails with white bows. Her "sleepy eyes" are BROWN with a DECAL eye design. This doll is made entirely of vinyl; she is an articulated doll. This ROMINA however, is somewhat unique from other ROMINA for three reasons # She has a very flexible or "soft" vinyl that is more pliable than later all-vinyl, hard-bodied dolls. Her vinyl is not "hard" like the dolls produced closer to 1985 but instead, is quite soft and squishy. You can quite easier push in her vinyl and it has a softer, silkier texture as well. For consistency purposes, however, she will still be classified a "hard-bodied" doll (as she is still made from vinyl instead of cloth). # She has a slightly "orange" or "peachy" tint to her vinyl coloring whereas later dolls tend to have a darker, "tanner" skin coloring (see the ARTICULATION photo below for a physical example). Notice also how her cheeks also contain quite a bit more "blush" than the average ROMINA as well. # She has a rounder, wider facial shape than later ROMINA. This ROMINA has a wider face than later-confirmed, produced ROMINA, such as those produced in 1985. The German Name for this doll is "GELENKPUPPE" which means "JOINTED DOLL" or "GELENKSTEHPUPPE," which means "JOINTED STANDING DOLL." '''Unfortunately, at this time, there is not much information available on ROMINA 20. GELENKPUPPE/GELENKSTEHPUPPE dolls are all-vinyl dolls; their head, torso, and limbs are made entirely of vinyl and are designed to resemble natural human proportions. There are typically two different GELENKPUPPE/GELENKSTEHPUPPE body types: the difference between them is that one has an articulated waist (upper and lower torsos move independently of one another) and one does not. This type of '''GELENKPUPPE/GELENKSTEHPUPPE is classified as a "PLAY DOLL;" these dolls have been specifically designed and created with materials capable of withstanding vigorous child play. Play Dolls will either have "rooted" hair or "wigged" hair. Rooted hair is hair that is machine-inserted directly into the doll's skull in small groupings of hair. Rooted hair is very durable and can be roughly pulled/tugged. Wigged hair is hair that is sewn to a wig cap which is then glued to the doll's skull. Wigged hair tends to be made of a higher-quality Kanekalon fiber than the Kanekalon fiber used on a rooted-haired doll and is more susceptible to bald spots. Play Dolls will have either "fixed" eyes (eyes "fixed" in position) or "sleepy eyes" (eyes that open/shut when the doll's vertical position is changed). Play Dolls outfits, while still being high-quality and well-crafted, are made from fabrics and materials selected more for their durability and care than for their appearance. Finally, Play Dolls and their body parts tend to be mass-produced and are not designed by a specific Doll Artist. For all of the reasons mentioned above, these dolls tend to be one of the least expensive Gotz dolls offered within the Gotz doll market. 'Did You Know?' *''American Girl'' doll collectors refer to dolls with this facial mold as a "ROMINA" (if the doll is a girl) and a "ROMINO" (if the doll is a boy)? It's true! ROMINA/Os are considered by many to be the American Girl doll prototype. Pleasant Rowland, the founder of founder of Pleasant Company and American Girl chose this facial mold paired with a soft doll torso and voila! the American Girl doll line was born! This is why ROMINA/O and the first three American Girl dolls: Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly (along with dolls thereafter) all look alike; they all share this same “classic” facial mold. *In 1986, Gotz exclusively produced the first three historical American Girl dolls in their West Germany plant until production needs increased and additional production plants were opened in Hungary, Germany and even the United States! __TOC__ 'Catalog Information' *Doll Name: UNKNOWN/ROMINA 20 *Year Produced: UNKNOWN *Doll ID #/Catalog Code #: UNKNOWN *Height in cm/inches: 46cm/18" *Torso Material: ALL-VINYL (SOFT) *Body Type: HARD-BODIED *German Classification: GELENKPUPPE or GELENKSTEHPUPPE *German Classification (in English): JOINTED DOLL or JOINTED STANDING DOLL *Doll Type: PLAY DOLL *Neckstamp Mold #: GOTZ-PUPPE *Doll Collection/Series/Lines: Gotz Modell *Original Cost of Doll: UNKNOWN *Country Doll Produced In: WEST GERMANY 'Physical Characteristics' *Hair Color: BROWN HAIR *Hair Length: LONG HAIR *Hair Style: ' STRAIGHT HAIR with straight bangs.' *Hair Description: Long, straight brown hair with straight bangs; she wears her hair down with two small high, side pigtails with white bows. *Hair Type: ROOTED HAIR *Eye Type: SLEEPY EYES *Eye Color: BROWN EYES *Eye Design: DECAL **'DECAL': Eye design comprised of thin, striated, straight lines that radiate outwards from the pupil to the edge of the iris. *Other Noticeable Physical Traits: TEETH; American Girl'' Doll Prototype''' 'Articulation Classification' *Articulation Locations: Both shoulders; both hips; neck *Internal Articulation Mechanism:' STRUNG (CORDED)' *Articulation Types: MULTI-ARTICULATED (4-5 JOINTS MOVE/POSE): Doll can sit/stand unaided; both shoulders and hips will move/pose; neck articulates. 'Articulation Explained' Articulation refers to whether or not a doll '''can move one or more of its body parts (neck; arms; legs; waist, etc) ''independently of its body and/or hold that body part in a pose. Each moveable, poseable doll body part will typically have a ball-jointed socket, referred to as an articulation joint and each articulation joint is located on a specific part of the body (known as an articulation location). These articulation locations are then added up to classify the doll within a specific articulation type. It is important to catalog this information as many dolls share the same face mold but have different body types. Click on each "purple" word as this is a link to an article with more information on that topic. 'Original Outfit' Please provide a brief, detailed physical description on the appearance, material, design, etc. of this doll's original outfit along with any original accessories. 'Original Box' Please upload a photo of this doll's original box. Category:Doll Index Category:AMERICAN GIRL Doll Prototypes: ROMINA; ROMINO; SOMINA Category:Play Dolls Category:Gelenkpuppe = Jointed Doll Category:Gelenkstehpuppe = Jointed Standing Doll Category:Hard-Bodied Dolls Category:Vinyl Torso Dolls Category:Articulated Dolls Category:Article Category:Article Stub Category:Requires Fill-In Category:Photo Needed Category:Dolls Produced Between 1980-1989 Category:Vintage Gotz Modell Category:DOLLS BY DECADE - UNKNOWN Category:Dolls without Catalog Photos Category:Dolls without Catalog Names Category:UNKNOWN GERMAN DOLL NAME Category:Sleepy Eyes Category:Rooted Hair Dolls Category:18" Dolls Category:Dolls with Teeth Category:Dolls with Bangs Category:Brown to Dark Brown Eyed Dolls Category:Decal Eyes Category:Girl Dolls & Girl Baby Dolls Category:Light Skinned Dolls Category:Gotz-Puppe Category:Brown to Dark Brown Haired Dolls Category:Long Haired Dolls Category:Straight Haired Dolls